Why I Support Open Carry Laws

There are many debates about gun control laws. Some states are witnessing an increase in concealed carry permits (CCP) while other states have some form of open carry laws. Naturally, the issue surrounding gun debates are somewhat personal to me and complex. This is why I think there are so many differing opinions on how to tackle gun control in America. Call me a traditionalist or perhaps a bit old fashioned, but I fear the more we control legal gun ownership in America creates a problem where those that illegally have guns will outnumber those that have firearms legally.

Owning a gun in America may be a right, but it should also be a privilege. That right and privilege should not be a published document to identify who and where gun owners live. If so, it must be kept highly confidential so that burglary crimes won’t target the homes of gun owners. Owning your first firearm should require a minimum of a basic training course. If gun training is good enough for the military, then it should be good enough for the civilian world. It shouldn’t be cumbersome but should provide a basic overview of when a firearm should be unholstered.

Some people may not agree with my assessment that open carry of a gun is acceptable. A key reason for my approval of open carry laws is that law enforcement is currently stretched thin. In some cases, not all, an open carry situation may be a deterrent rather than an escalating issue. There are some cases where open carry pistols may not be the best or practical ideal setting. This is where common sense and discretion should be used. Thus, perhaps why training is so important for first-time gun owners. There are plenty of laws on the books that gun owners must abide by such as storage safety, castle doctrine, and going armed to terrorize. A majority of legal gun owners are mindful not to draw attention to themselves. But there are cases where gun ownership and open carry has a conflicting issue such as K-12 schools, religious or funeral services, and courthouses.

Let’s face facts. America today is a much more dangerous place than it was let’s say twenty years ago. Police resources are stretched thin and personal crimes such as carjackings, daytime home invasions, and random acts of violence seem to be on the rise. Open carry laws and those that abide by open carry may be providing a better deterrent than given credit for. The same could be said for concealed pistol permits. This is why I am a Democrat and support open carry laws. It is one of the few remaining laws that truly protects family and personal liberties from criminal and violent behaviors.

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Author: dsdaughtry

“You’re punching and you’re kicking and you’re shouting at me / I’m relying on your common decency?" I tried to become vegan (it was the worst 6 hours of my life), Blogging Columnist, Army veteran, economic liberalism, Arizona State alumnus, and a graduate student at University of South Dakota. I hope you enjoy my site! | B.A. Organizational Leadership | M.S. Political Science
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One thought on “Why I Support Open Carry Laws”

nice point about the personal info stored, that could be hacked for thefts, etc. Hadn’t considered that angle.

of course I agree and disagree… but I disagree most with the hype that says that democrats want to “take our guns”… what a load of crap. (sorry) If that were true… it still wouldn’t be legal to chase down rabbit and deer with an assault rifle.

really wish that the NRA would stop “scaring” people to boost sales. ugh.

as far as the carry/conceal and/or open-carry law allowances. sorry… known too many gun owners in my life… hit or miss that their the ‘right sort’… seeing a person carrying a gun, does not make me feel safer. I don’t even like that police carry weapons here… and never really understood how ‘de-escalating’ it automatically is for the police to not carry guns – until I lived in a country where they didn’t.